RS have I told you lately that I love you
by Spookster
Summary: Sometimes, you have to say how you feel


****

HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY THAT I LOVE YOU?.

I don't own the characters of "Remington Steele" (even tough all of us would like to). I have written this just to see if I'm able to. I read that Pierce's favourite singer was Van Morrison and I found this song in a CD of Irish songs. I think about this story as I listened the song. I hope it makes sense to you and you like it.

Steele residence

Los Angeles 1998-11-23

It was a sunny day in Los Angeles and for any determined reason there was not school. Niamh was enjoying her day away from school by spending the whole day in the swimming pool with her two sisters. Their father had taught them to swim a long time ago and now the three of them were playing a basketball game in the water. They heard the telephone rang and Niamh moved to the house in order to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is there the most beautiful blue eyed black haired girl of the whole world?"

"Yes Daddy I'm here" Niamh adored her father and she was in the stage of thinking of him as the best man in the world. She knew that somehow she was his favourite because she looked exactly like him.

"How is everything around there, sweetie, where is Mom?"

"She is in the kitchen with Aunt Frances and Grandma. Girls and I got bored so we are playing in the swimming pool now"

"What are you playing?"

"Basketball and of course I am winning"

Remington couldn't help but laugh at his daughter's attitude. Now matter how the girl looked like him physically, she has her mother's character.

"Remember our plan, don't you?"

"Yes, I do Daddy. I am 12 years old so don't treat me like a toddler, ok?"

"Sorry your Highness. Now go to the kitchen and tell Mommy I want to talk to her"

Niamh ran to the kitchen and nearly fell into her mother's legs.

"Niamh, how many times I have told you not to run inside the house"

"Sorry Mommy. Dad's on the phone and he wants to talk to you"

With that the little earthquake left the room. Laura walked to the lobby and took the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hello beautiful"

"Eh? Don't do that, my husband can discover"

"Don't worry, I'm stronger than him"

Laura enjoyed these little jokes and teasing from her husband after more than 14 years of marriage.

"What's the matter? Don't dare tell me that you have to work tonight"

"Well......."

"Harry! It's my birthday today. We have planned to go out for dinner"

"I remember and it is not my fault. This Ford case is getting on my nerves. I have just received a phonecall and I think I can find a lead that will help me to solve it. Laura, I'm so sorry. I promise we take a long time just for us as soon as I finish with this"

Laura could hear the sadness in his voice. She knew he wasn't doing it on purpose so there was no reason for blaming him.

"Ok sorry. I will wait for you here. Try not to arrive too late, we still can celebrate something here"

"Oh Laura, that's not fair. Now I know you only want me because of my body"

"Didn't you know by now Mr Steele?"

"I have some ideas about it but I was not completely sure. Listen Laura love, I can't say how sorry I am. I want this birthday to be special for you after all you have gone through this year. I promise we will do something about it"

"Don't worry. Just try to be home early"

"I will. Bye Love. Kiss the girls for me"

And they hang up. Remington was right. This 1998 hadn't been her year. First her mother had been in hospital for nearly three months and doctors were not sure about what had caused her illness. Then while working on a case, she had been shot and her situation had been critical. She had been at hospital a long period. During that time, she had dedicated a lot of time to think about her life. She thought about her three adorable daughters, her husband and how it would be to leave them. Laura was not coward by any means but the idea of not being able to see them again sent shivers to her heart.

She had taken a leave absence which Remington approved and after that her contribution to the investigation was more directed to the consultative way. So now she was considering her return to the agency as a full operative.

After her mother and Frances went, the house became very quiet. The girls had insisted in going with Aunt Frances and spent the night there. Laura had said no at first but Frances had convinced her that it would be funny to have some youngsters around again. Her own children were older and now they spent more time out. So with the girls gone, the house was awfully quiet. Since they were born, the house remained in a constant state of chaos that she tried to avoid but that Remington helped to improve. Her husband had turned to be a wonderful father. He spent most of his spare time with the girls, in the swimming pool, playing soccer (they even had T-shirt of the Irish team) or simply messing around. Laura once thought that Remington would miss that father-son connection but he didn't show it at all.

The ringing of the phone interrupted her thoughts:

"Hello?"

"Hello Mrs Steele, Happy birthday, how are you feeling?"

"Thank you Mildred. Well I'm just here accepting that I am getting older and that my family leaves me behind in my birthday"

"Oh! I guess you aren't having a good day. I left Mr Steele at the office working hard in the Ford case. He was very sorry for not being with you today"

"Yeah, I think I have made him feel guilty about it and that was not my intention at all"

"Don't worry dear, he understands you. What do you think about going out and see a movie?. I have heard that the new James Bond movie is very good. I never lose the opportunity to see that Pierce Brosnan wearing that expensive suits and tuxedos"

"Yes, he really knows how to wear them, doesn't he?"

"So, what do you say?"

"Sounds good to me Mildred. I guess Remington will arrive late. What time?"

"What about 5?"

"Perfect, I'll pick you up at 5. Thanks Mildred. This means a lot for me"

"You're very welcome Mrs Steele. See you at 5" 

Laura led to the big bathroom of the master room and filled the tub with warm water. Next time she opened her eyes, it was 16:15. She got out the tub and chose some informal clothes to wear on. Without knowing exactly how, she arrived at Mildred's house just when the old lady was locking the door.

"Hello Mrs Steele, Happy Birthday again"

"Thanks a lot Mildred, we should go to the cinema now or we will enter with the movie is on".

They enjoyed the movie a lot and agreed that Pierce Brosnan knew how to wear a tuxedo.

"Mrs Steele doesn't James Bond remind you of your husband?"

"Oh Mildred, I made the mistake of telling him once and then I found him telling the "My name is Bond, James Bond" phrase while brushing their teeth. It was a funny situation really, a grownup man dressed only with a towel and getting the mirror dirty with toothpaste"

Mildred laughed at Laura's comment and tried to imagine his boss in such comic situation. Laura was leading to her car when Mildred said:

"Mrs Steele, would you like to take a coffee? It's cold here and I guess a hot coffee will do us fine"

"Ok Mildred, I'll buy you for being with me in my birthday. We can go to the Irish Tavern my husband spends most of his spare time lately"

"Does he?"

"Yes, he has found a lot of Irish people there so they talked about the old times while drinking Guinness and listening Irish Folk. I guess your boss is too much in touch with his Irish part there"

They decided to walk to the Tavern only to arrive and see all the lights were very low.

"I hope it is open, because my feet wouldn't stand the way back without complaining"

"No Mildred, it seems to be someone inside. They only maintained the lights low to create a kind of spooky atmosphere. That's why Remington loves to be here........I suppose".

Laura opened the door closely followed by Mildred to see that there was no one in the place. She began to get nervous when a terrible scream made her nearly jump over Mildred.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY"

Suddenly the lights were not low so Laura could see the place full of smiling People. In the front part were Remington and the girls all of them dressed up for the occasion. Laura was speechless and the only thing she could do was approached her husband and daughters and gave a tight hug to them. She closed her eyes and let her brain assimilated that happy moment. Niamh broke the hug.

"Happy Birthday Mommy. Do you like the party? We planned just for you. I helped Daddy and didn't say a word"

"I see Niamh you are becoming a little conspirator. Thank you Honey, this is the best Birthday party I've ever had".

With that the girls left their parent's hug and began wandering around the room and talking with everybody. Remington took again his wife in his arms and gave her another hug.

"This one is only for you. Hope you like it"

"What are we talking about now Mr Steele, the party or the hug?"

"Both Mrs Steele, but if you only wanted a hug, you could have told me before, you know. I have been preparing this for a week"

"Don't complain, the girls helped you"

"And great help they are" Remington joked. "Let's talk with the guests".

Laura was amazed how many people were there. Lt Jarvis, Jackie, the young boy they took out of the streets, even Bernice and Murphy were there. She talked with every single person in the room and had fun remembering the old times with Bernice. 

When the music began, Mildred was literally taken by the girls who made her dance like she hadn't done it years. The youngster found their way in the dance floor and the grownups just watched them and smiled.

As the party went on, the kids were getting tired so the music changed for the older ones to dance. Laura was talking with her mother and her sister about the party when the music stops and Remington took the mike:

"Laura?. Laura, love, I want to dedicate this song to you. You will never know how meeting you change my life. You have made a honest married man to me and believe this is something I've never dreamed of before. You know how difficult is for me to show up my feelings but I have some help here. This song represents all I want to say to you. It's an Irish love song from an Irish man to the woman he loves more than life itself".

Everybody left the dance floor and Remington led his wife there with him and they met each other in a tight embrace. There was anything apart for them in that moment. Laura had never listened the song before but as she heard the lyrics, she couldn't help but cry.

Her husband loved her indeed and this was the best birthday she had ever had.

Have I told you lately that I love you?  
Have I told you there's no one above you?  
Fill my heart with gladness.  
Take away all my sadness.  
Ease my troubles that's what you do.

On the morning sun in all its glory.  
Greets the day with hope and comfort, too.  
And you fill my life with laughter.  
You can make it better.  
Ease my troubles that's what you do.

There's a love that's divine.  
And it's yours and it's mine.  
Like the sun at the end of the day.  
We should give thanks and pray to the one.

Have I told you lately that I love you?  
Have I told you there's no one above you?  
Fill my heart with gladness.  
Take away all my sadness.  
Ease my troubles that's what you do.

There's a love that's divine.  
And it's yours and it's mine.  
And it shine's the sun  
at the end of the day.  
We will give thanks and pray  
to the one.

Finished on December 17th.

Leire.


End file.
